©s£  faSesS  

|  LETTER  FROM 


COMPTROLLEE 

OF  THE  CITY  AND  COUNTY  OF  NEW-YORK. 


IMPORTANT  INFORMATION  FOR  EVERY  TAX-PATER. 


NEW-YORK  : 
"Pu"blistied  >>y  the  Citizens'  Association, 
No.  813  BROADWAY. 

1868. 

 —   :Sa?f? 


HOW  OUR  TAXES  MAY  BE  REDUCED  TO 
ONE  PER  CENT., 
OUR  REVENUES  DEVELOPED, 

(t\  AND  /TV 

OUR  DEET  LIQUIDATED.  § 


THE  GREAT  QUESTION  OF  THE  DAY  IS 

''RETRENCHMENT  and  INTELLIGENT,  THOROUGH,  COMPRE- 
(k  HENSIVE  REFORM." 

(  vj> 


LETTER  FROM 

She  iitfeettf  ^Mmvtfou 

TO  THE 

COMPTROLLEE 

OF  THE  CITY  AND  COUNTY  OF  NEW-YORK. 

HOW  OUR  TAXES  MAY  BE  REDUCED  TO 
ONE  PER  CENT, 

OUR  REVENUES  DEVELOPED, 

AND 

OUR  DEET  LIQUIDATED. 

IMPORTANT  INFORMATION  FOE  EVERY  TAX  PAYER. 

THE  GEEAT  QUESTION  OF  THE  DAT  IS 

"  RETRENCHMENT  and  INTELLIGENT,  THOROUGH,  COMPRE- 
HENSIVE REFORM." 


NEW-YORK  : 

Published.   t>;y   the   Citizens'  .Association, 
NO.  813  BROADWAY. 

1868. 


ml 
MM 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/letterfromcitizeOOciti 


LETTER 

FROM  TOE 

CITIZENS'  ASSOCIATION, 

TO  THE  COMPTROLLER. 


Citizens'  Association  of  New-York, 
No.  813  Broadway,  New- York,  Jan.  10,  1868. 

Hon.  Richard  B.  Connolly,  Comptroller  of  the  City  and  County 
of  New-  York : 

Dear  Sir — In  the  Annual  Report  for  the  year  1866,  of 
the  Department  of  Finance  of  the  City  of  New-York,  yon 
expressed  a  determination,  to  the  best  of  your  ability,  to  meet 
the  responsibilities  and  discharge  the  duties  of  the  office  to 
which  you  had  been  elected  in  such  a  manner  as  to  promote 
the  interests  of  the  tax-payers,  and  sustain  the  credit  and 
honor  of  the  Corporation. 

You  are  intended  to  be  in  fact  what  you  are  in  law — the 
guardian  of  the  public  treasury  and  the  general  conservator 
of  the  public  property.  Your  position,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
must  make  you  perfectly  familiar  with  the  details  of  the 
several  departments  of  the  City  and  County  Government, 
and  the  necessities  of  the  public  service. 

As  you  have  so  forcibly  expressed  your  determination  to 
protect  and  advance  the  public  interests,  the  Citizens'  Asso- 
ciation trusts  that  you  will  realize  these  pledges  and  reduce 
the  local  taxes. 


4 


Every  plan  to  reduce  taxation  should  involve  the  follow 
ing  three  propositions : 

First — The  reduction  of  our  standing  debt. 

Second — The  increase  of  the  City  revenues. 

Third — The  decrease  of  the  expenses  of  the  local  govern- 
ment. 

And  the  Association  offers  the  following  suggestions  on 
these  points,  believing  that,  if  carried  out,  the  desired  result 
will  be  attained  : 

I. 

TO  REDUCE  OUR  STANDING  DEBT. 

New- York,  to-day,  with  public  property  worth  about 
$200,000,000  consisting  of  parks,  markets,  Croton  Aqueduct 
Works  and  real  estate  connected  therewith,  wharves,  piers 
and  ferries,  from  which  a  large  income  should  be  derived,  is 
in  debt  to  the  amount  of  $42,142,176.50,  and  is  compelled 
to  raise  by  tax  upon  the  estates  of  citizens  seven-eighths  of 
the  sums  necessary  to  conduct  its  affairs. 

There  is  now  in  the  sinking  fund,  for  the  redemption  of 
the  city  debt,  $15,000,000. 

This  amount  should  be  at  once  applied  towards  paying  of! 
that  indebtedness. 

The  Association  would  respectfully  request  your  co-operation 
in  procuring  the  legislation  necessary  to  accomplish  this  object. 

This  would  leave  a  total  debt  of  some  $27,142,176.50. 
The  market  property  of  our  city,  estimated  to  be  worth 
about  $5,000,000  should  be  sold  and  the  proceeds  applied 
towards  paying  off  the  debt;  this  would  leave  the  debt 
about  $22,142,176.50. 

The  following  statement  shows  the  amount  that  the  city 
is  annually  losing  under  the  present  market  system.  The 
net  annual  profit  now  received  by  the  city  from  the  markets 
is  about  $100,000,  taking  no  account  of  the  interest  upon 
their  value.    If  this  property  should  be  sold  for  $5,000,000 


and  the  money  invested,  the  city  would  receive  some 
$350,000  per  annum  as  interest. 

In  addition,  the  markets  being  situated  in  centres  of  busi- 
ness, the  property  in  private  hands  would  be  improved  and 
would  be  worth,  at  least,  $20,000,000. 

The  city  would  receive,  by  way  of  tax  upon  this  property, 
at  the  present  rate  of  taxation,  two  and  a  half  per  cent,  upon 
the  taxable  value,  say  $250,000  per  annum.  Thus,  if  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  sale  were  invested,  the  city  would,  after  the  sale, 
receive  $600,000  instead  of  $100,000  annually  from  the  pro- 
perty ;  and  if  the  proceeds  were  applied  to  the  payment  of 
the  city  debt,  as  they  should  be,  the  city  would  still  derive 
an  income  of  §250,000  per  annum. 

The  Association,  in  view  of  the  immense  benefits  to  be  derived 
from  the  measure,  asks  you  to  use  all  endeavors  necessary  to 
procure  legislative  authority  to  sell  our  'public  markets.  Of  the 
balance  which  would  then  remain  of  the  debt,  $22,142,176, 
50,  $10,782,800  would  represent  the  debt  incurred  on  account 
of  the  original  cost  of  introducing  Croton  water  into  our  city. 
The  Croton  water  debt  should  be  paid  from  the  Croton  water 
income  alone.  This  is  a  revenue  able  to  take  care  of  its  own 
debt,  and  have  a  large  surplus  over.  The  debt  would  then 
be  reduced  to  about  $11,359,376.50. 

The  other  salable  property,  except  the  wharves  and  piers 
owned  by  the  city,  could  be  disposed  of  for  about  $2,000,000, 
thus  leaving  a  debt  of  some  $9,000,000,  incurred  on  account 
of  the  Central  Park  improvement,  to  represent  which  we 
have  the  Park  itself,  worth  at  least  $75,000,000. 

The  balance  of  our  debt,  viz.:  $9,000,000,  could  be  funded 
in  a  long  stock  known  as  the  Central  Park  improvement 
stock,  of  30,  31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37  and  38  years,  which 
would  make  just  one  million  mature  each  year  after  1898,  to 
be  raised  by  tax,  the  interest  in  the  meantime  to  be  annually 
raised  by  tax,  and  paid  by  the  Comptroller.  Upon  such 
funding  the  sinking  fund,  with  all  its  waste,  should  be 
abolished. 


6 


The  Association,  there/ere,  asks  your  co-operation  to  secure  the 
legislation  necessary  to  make  the  Croton  Aqueduct  Department 
self -sustaining,  to  fund  the  balance  of  debt,  and  to  abolish  the 
sinking  fund  system. 

n. 

THE  PLAN  FOR  INCREASING  THE  CITY  REVENUES. 

First — The  revenue  for  the  use  of  Croton  water  should 
be  and  might  fairly  be  made  to  pay  the  interest  on  the 
Croton  debt;  to  pay  the  current  expenses  of  the  Depart- 
ment ;  to  lay  aside  enough  annually  to  liquidate  the  prin- 
cipal of  the  debt  as  it  falls  due,  and  to  yield  about  one 
million  annually  to  reduce  the  city  taxes. 

The  present  low  rates  for  Croton  water  were  fixed  shortly 
after  it  was  introduced,  and  only  amount  in  first-class  dwell- 
ings to  about  half  a  cent  for  one  hundred  gallons — which  is 
next  to  nothing. 

Second — Large  express  companies  and  railroad  lines 
which  now  pay  but  a  mere  pittance  into  the  treasury  for  the 
privileges  and  advantages  they  enjoy,  should  be  required 
to  pay  what  is  j  ust  and  fair. 

Third — Full  authority  should   be   obtained   from   the  * 
Legislature  to  impose  a  license  tax  on  the  cars  of  the  City 
Railroads.    These  companies  enjoy  the  public  streets  for 
their  business  as  a  monopoly ;  they  make  large  profits,  and 
should  pay  for  their  privileges. 

Fourth — There  are  thousands  of  persons  doing  business 
in  this  city  who  do  not  contribute  one  dollar  towards  the 
expenses  of  our  local  government  for  accommodations 
which  they  enjoy  equally  with  our  tax-payers.  They  live 
in  the  neighboring  counties  and  states,  and  thus  escape  the 
burdens  which  they  should  justly  bear.  A  direct  tax 
should  be  imposed  upon  all  such  persons,  graduated  according 
to  the  amount  of  business  transacted.  From  the  last  three- 
sources  an  annual  income  might  be  derived  of  $2,000,000, 
and  from  such  sources,  in  nearly  all  our  large  cities,  income 
is  derived. 


7 

nx 

THE  PLAN  FOR  DECREASING  THE  EXPENSES  OF  OUR 
LOCAL  GOVERNMENT. 

First — All  distinctions  in  government  between  the  City 
and  County  of  New-York  should  be  abolished,  thus  saving 
the  expenses  of  two  sets  of  officers  doing  the  same  general 
work  in  the  same  territorial  limits,  and  of  large  expense 
caused  entirely  by  a  dual  government. 

At  least  one  million  of  dollars  could  thus  be  saved. 

Second — The  expenses  of  the  several  metropolitan  Com- 
missions should  be  reduced  one  million  of  dollars. 

Third — From  a  careful  analysis  of  the  expenditure  of  the 
Department  of  Public  Instruction,  the  ^Association  is  of 
opinion  that  this  Department  could  be  efficiently  conducted 
for  two  and  a  quarter  millions  of  dollars  per  annum. 

Fourth — The  expenses  of  the  local  government  could  be 
reduced  nearly  three  quarters  of  a  million  of  dollars  by 
making  our  courts  of  justice  self-sustaining. 

This  could  be  done  by  the  institution  of  a  plan  which 
should  require  all  those  persons  who  use  the  courts  to  pay 
the  expense  thereof.  Our  courts  now  cost  us  nearly 
$800,000  per  year,  and  the  city  receives  but  about  $100,000 
in  fees,  &c,  therefrom. 

In  our  City  and  County  Courts  there  are  35  Judges,  100 
clerks  and  89  officers,  (the  Police  acting  as  officers  for  the 
criminal  and  police  courts.) 

Each  year  about  2,500  cases  in  the  Supreme  Court  are 
put  on  the  calendar ;  in  the  Superior  Court,  about  600  ;  in  the 
Common  Pleas,  about  600 ;  in  the  Marine  Court,  about 
5,000  suits  are  brought  annually,  and  in  the  petty  civil 
courts,  together,  about  12,000.  These  amount  to  some 
20,000,  which  number  must  be  increased  by  some  3,000 
additional  suits  which  are  never  put  on  the  calendars.  For 
some  30,000  litigants  this  expense  of  $800,000  is  borne  by 


8 


the  community  at  large  ;  whereas,  a  very  small  tax  on  the 
litigants  themselves,  which  would  be  perfectly  j ust,  would 
defray  the  expense. 

Another  portion  of  the  plan  is  to  reduce  the  expenses  of 
the  courts  by  dismissing  a  number  of  superfluous  attaches. 

The  other  expenses  of  the  local  government  can  be 
reduced  an  additional  million  of  dollars  by  a  judicious  con- 
traction of  expenditure. 

To  thus  increase  the  revenues  and  decrease  the  expenses 
of  the  Government,  legislative  aid  may  be  necessary ;  and 
the  Association  would  respectfully  request  your  earnest  co-opera- 
tion to  press  upon  our  local  Boards  and  officers  the  necessity  for 
economy  and  retrenchment,  and  also  to  procure  such  legislation. 

By  this  plan  the  annual  expenses  would  be  reduced  to : 


The  Commissions   $3,000,000 

Public  Instruction   2,250,000 

Charities  and  Corrections   1,000..000 

The  Common  Council   2,000,000 

Cleaning  Streets   500,000 

The  Interest  on  Funded  Debt   700,000 

For  Incidentals   500,000 

For  State  Purposes   3,000,000 

Total  $12,950,000 


To  meet  this  the  annual  revenue  would  be  as  follows : 

First — Croton  Water  Revenue,  in  addition  to  the  amount 
required  in  paying  the  expenses  of  the  Department, 
the  interest  on  the  stock,  and  the  principal  as  it  falls 


due  $1,000,000 

Second— Excise   1,000,000 

Third— Revenue  from   River-front,  Wharves,  Piers,  Slips, 

Ferries,  when  developed   2,000,000 

Fourth — Other  sources  of  revenue   2,000,000 

Total  Revenue  $6,000,000 


This  would  leave  a  total  of  $6,950,000  to  be  raised  by 
tax,  which  would  make  the  tax  less  than  one  per  cent,  upon 


9 


the 'present  valuation  of  property,  or  about  one-third  of  the 
annual  tax  now  borne  by  our  citizens.  To  secure  this 
result  the  Association  requests  your  hearty  co-operation  to  the 
furthest  extent  of  your  official  power. 

The  Association  would  also  call  your  attention  to  the  plan 
which  will  be  presented  to  the  Legislature  for  the  improve- 
ment of  our  river  front,  by  providing  in  this  harbor 
facilities  for  our  commerce  commensurate  with  its  im- 
portance. 

The  objects  kept  in  view  in  this  plan  are : 

First — To  give  to  one  body  or  board  the  entire  and 
exclusive  control  and  supervision  of  the  wharves  and  piers 
of  the  harbor  of  New- York. 

Second — To  give  to  such  body  all  the  powers  necessary 
to  promote  the  public  welfare,  in  respect  to  the  wharves  and 
piers;  but  at  the  same  time  no  power  which  might  prove  a 
hardship  or  burden  upon  private  capital  and  enterprise. 

Third — To  leave  the  improvement  of  the  river  front  as 
much  as  possible  to  private  capital  and  enterprise;  and 

Fourth — To  give  the  Board  the  power  of  establishing  such 
rates  of  wharfage  as  will  induce  private  individuals  to 
develop  the  river  front,  and  provide  accommodations  com- 
mensurate with  the  wants  of  our  commerce,  by  allowing 
them  a  proper  return  upon  the  capital  invested,  but  not  to 
give  the  Board  any  power  to  make  outlays  of  the  public 
money,  nor  to  engage  in  expensive  undertakings  which  will 
impose  another  heavy  debt  on  the  people. 

The  Association  asks  that  you  will  give  to  this  plan,  which 
will  be  submitted  to  you,  that  consideration  ivhich  the  importance 
of  the  subject  demands,  and  will  aid  the  commercial  interests  of 
our  city  in  securing  the  improvement  needed  in  that  repeat. 

The  Association  too  aid  also  respectfully  request  that  you  ivill 
lend  your  co  operation  to  procure  the  legislation  necessary  to 
authorize  the  taxes  in  the  City  of  New -York  to  be  raised  accord- 
ing  to  the  following  plan  : 
2 


10 


First — Two  hundred  and  fifty  taxpayers,  paying  taxes  on 
property  of  the  taxable  value  of  not  less  than  $20,000, 
shall  be  summoned  by  the  Mayor  of  the  city,  from  among 
whom,  in  the  presence  of  the  Presiding  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  twenty -four  shall  be  selected  by  lot  who 
shall  sit  as  a  jury. 

Second — Before  them  every  branch  of  the  local  govern- 
ment, including  all  Boards  and  Commissions,  shall  be  by 
law  compelled  to  present  their  budgets,  and  any  taxpayer 
may  appear  and  oppose  the  amounts  asked  for,  giving  his 
reasons  for  so  doing. 

A  majority  of  the  jury  shall  determine,  after  hearing  all 
sides,  the  sums  necessary  to  be  raised  for  all  local  purposes 
in  the  City  and  County  of  New- York,  and  their  decision 
shall  be  final. 

This  plan  gives  into  the  hands  of  our  citizens  the  fixing 
of  the  amount  of  their  taxes.  There  is  no  reason  why  it 
should  not  be  easy  for  them  and  the  public  officials  to  agree 
on  this  point.  If  such  a  system  be  adopted  it  will  lead  to 
such  a  harmonious  administration  of  public  affairs  as  has 
never  before  been  witnessed  in  this  city. 

The  present  depression  of  all  commercial  and  industrial 
pursuits,  and  the  gloomy  prospect  as  to  any  immediate 
change  for  the  better,  loudly  call  for  the  most  thorough  con- 
traction of  expenditure  in  every  department  of  the  local 
government. 

Our  people,  especially  at  this  time,  cannot  submit  that  so 
large  a  proportion  of  their  earnings  should  be  wasted  in 
supporting  the  incumbents  of  the  many  sinecure  offices  in 
the  city,  and  in  the  transaction  of  the  ordinary  routine  of 
public  business. 

It  has  seemed  very  remarkable  that  the  increase  in  our 
taxation  should  be  so  disproportionate  to  the  increase  in  our 
population. 

The  most  stringent  measures  should  be  adopted  to  check 


•  11 


every  item  of  waste  or  improper  expenditure ;  and  the 
appeal  is  made  to  you,  since  all  waste  can  be  effectually 
checked  by  vigilance  and  prompt  action  in  your  department. 

This  Association  sees  with  great  regret  that,  in  your  esti- 
mates for  the  expenses  of  the  City  Government  for  1868, 
you  have  recommended  no  substantial  reduction  below  the 
amounts  expended  last  year. 

Your  predecessor  in  office,  Mr.  Brennan,  in  his  estimate 
for  1867,  recommended  $11,101,802.52  as  sufficient  for  this 
object. 

You  gave  as  an  excuse  for  pressing  the  large  amount 
asked  for  in  that  estimate  that  you  found  it  made  up  when 
you  entered  upon  the  duties  of  your  office  in  January,  1867, 
and  that  if  you  had  had  the  preparing  of  it  the  expendi- 
tures would  have  been  fixed  by  you  at  a  much  lower  figure. 
The  estimate  for  1868  is  now  before  us,  and  we  find  that, 
instead  of  making  any  reduction  on  the  expenditures  of 
last  year,  as  you  repeatedly  promised  you  would,  you  have 
increased  the  expenditures  for  1868,  to  §11,161,122.50. 

In  the  estimates  of  your  predecessor  §165,000  was  in- 
cluded for  judgments,  but  the  estimate  made  by  you  con- 
tains no  amount  for  judgments. 

In  1867  the  interest  on  the  City  debt  to  be  provided  for 
was  §1,228,881.24,  and  the  portion  of  the  City  debt  redeem- 
able was  $692,420.69,  while,  in  1868,  you  estimate  the 
interest  at  $1,144,692.55,  and  the  principal  payable  at 
$702,420.69. 

So,  it  will  be  seen,  that  you  have  asked  for  an  increase  of 
$133,508.67  over  the  extraordinarily  large  estimates  of  last 
year,  which  it  was  expected  you  would  reduce. 

The  Association  cannot  see  any  tendency  to  a  judicious 
contraction  of  expenditure  in  the  following  amounts,  recom- 
mended by  you  in  your  City  Budget  for  1868 : 

1.  Advertising  for  the  Common  Council  $50,000  00 

2.  Printing  for  the  Common  Council   60,000  00 


12 


FINANCE  DEPARTMENT. 

1.  Cleaning  markets   $25,000  00 

2.  Contingencies,  Comptroller's  office   20,000  00 

3.  Salaries,  Department  Finance   190,589  18 

STREET  DEPARTMENT. 

1.  Contingencies   $15,000  00 

2.  Lands  and  Places   45,000  00 

3.  New  stone  bridge  at  Kingsbridge   20,000  00 

4.  Printing  for  departments   40,0C0  00 

5.  Public  buildings,  construction  and  repairs   77,000  00 

6.  Roads  and  Avenues   103,500  00 

7.  Stationery  and  blank  books   45,000  00 

8.  Street  improvements   10,000  00 

9.  Supplies  for  and  cleaning  public  offices   90,000  00 

In  the  budget  for  1867  the  amounts  were  estimated  at : 

1.  Advertising  for  the  Common  Council   $50,000  00 

2.  Printing  for  the  Common  Council   80,000  00 

FINANCE  DEPARTMENT. 

1.  Cleaning  markets   $16,600  00 

2.  Contingencies,  Comptroller's  office   15,000  00 

3.  Salaries,  Department  Finance   160,000  00 

STREET  DEPARTMENT. 

1.  Contingencies   $15,000  00 

2.  Lands  and  Places   30,000  00 

3.  New  stone  bridge  at  Kingsbridge   5,000  00 

4.  Printing  for  departments   40,000  00 

5.  Public  buildings,  construction  and  repairs    50,0?0  00 

6.  Roads  and  Avenues   60,000  00 

7.  Stationery  and  blank  books   40,000  00 

8.  Street  improvements   5,000  00 

9.  Supplies  for  and  cleaning  public  offices   75,000  00 


It  will  thus  bevseen  that  the  decrease  in  these  items 
amounts  to  $20,000,  while  your  increase  in  these  items 
amounts  to  $169,589.18. 

The  Association  doubts  the  expediency  of  a  stone  bridge 
at  Kingsbridge.    Last  year  $5,000  was  appropriated  for  this 


13 


purpose.  It  is  very  questionable  whether  any  such  perman- 
ent bridge  should  be  built,  as,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years, 
the  improvement  of  the  Harlem  River  may  necessitate  the 
removal  of  all  such  permanent  obstructions.  It  was  to  be 
expected  and  hoped  from  your  assurances,  voluntarily  given 
to  the  Association,  to  protect  the  interests  of  our  tax-payers, 
that  you  would  have  reduced  these  items  of  expenditures 
very  sensibly  below  the  estimates  of  last  year,  since  in  these, 
or  most  of  these,  the  public  money  has  heretofore  been 
squandered. 

This  Association  cannot  understand  how  you  are  pro- 
moting the  interests  of  the  tax-payers  by  recommending  that 
such  large  sums  should  be  appropriated  for  advertising, 
printing,  blank-books,  stationery,  repairs  to  our  public 
buildings,  supplies  for  our  public  offices,  and  for  keeping 
the  public  roads  in  repair.  It  was  to  be  expected  that  in 
all  these  matters,  whatever  the  estimates  of  the  different 
departments  and  bureaus  may  have  been,  you  would  have 
accompanied  such  estimates  with  recommendations  of  re- 
trenchment, showing  you  to  possess  an  earnest  desire  to 
lessen  the  public  expenditures. 

In  view  of  the  fraudulent  disposition  of  large  sums  for 
these  purposes  in  preceding  years,  the  proposed  expendi- 
tures of  such  vast  sums  for  another  year  must  be  regarded 
by  the  people  as  a  fraud  upon  the  tax-payers  of  this  city. 

The  Association  trusted  that  instead  of  asking  for  in- 
creased appropriations,  you  would  have  exerted  the  whole 
power  of  your  office  to  stop  the  monstrous  waste  which,  for 
years,  has  been  permitted  under  the  specious  pretences  con- 
nected with  the  items  of  advertising,  printing,  roads  and 
avenues,  and  other  kindred  expenses. 

The  appropriation  of  $60,000  of  last  year  for  roads  and 
avenues  was  in  excess  of  what  was  required  by  even  an 
ordinarily  honest  expenditure,  and  now  you  recommend 
$103,500  for  keeping  the  twelve  miles  of  travelled  public 


14 

roads  in  this  city  in  common  order,  while  the  Central  Park 
Commissioners  spend  but  about  $50,000  a  year  in  keeping 
their  carriage-roads  and  walks  in  most  admirable  repair. 

The  Association  regrets  that  you  have  asked  for  $190, 589. 18 
for  the  salaries  of  your  office  for  1868,  which  is  some  $30,000 
in  excess  of  the  estimate  for  such  purpose  for  1867,  made 
by  your  predecessor  in  office,  Mr.  Brennan. 

The  Association  cannot  see  that  the  exigencies  of  the 
public  service  require  this  increase ;  but  is  of  opinion  that 
the  financial  department  could  be  carried  on  as  efficiently  as 
now,  for  many  thousands  of  dollars  less  than  your  estimate. 

In  this  connection,  the  Association  would  call  your  atten- 
tion to  the  following  article,  which  appeared  in  the  Evening 
Post,  making  a  comparison  between  the  clerical  force  and 
amount  of  business  of  the  United  States  Sub-Treasury,  in 
New-York,  and  the  Finance  Department  of  this  city : 

"  In  the  Comptroller's  Department  in  this  city  there  are 
employed  one  hundred  and  thirty-one  clerks  and  chiefs  of 
bureaus,  at  an  annual  expense  of  $167,642.81  for  salaries ; 
also  $19,546.61  for  contingent  expenses,  besides  the  City 
Chamberlain,  through  whom  all  payments  are  made,  with  a 
salary  and  perquisites  of  $150,000  per  annum. 

"  The  amount  of  the  entire  transactions  of  the  Comptrol- 
ler's Department  is  $37,587,811.95  for  1865.  In  the  United 
*  States  Treasury  Department,  in  this  city,  there  are  employed 
sixty-eight  persons.  The  amount  of  salaries  paid  is  $122,904. 

"  The  amount  of  transactions  was  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred and  eight  millions  for  1865.  While,  therefore,  about 
one-half  the  number  of  persons  were  employed,  the  volume 
of  business  transacted  was  sixty-eight  times  greater. 

"  At  this  rate  the  City  Government  would  require  eight 
thousand  nine  hundred  and  eight  persons  to  perform  the 
same  amount  of  business  that  was  transacted  by  the  Treasury 
Department  of  the  United  States,  in  this  city,  by  sixty-eight 
persons;  at  the  same  rate  it  would  cost  $11,899,711.08  for 


15 


salaries  to  perform  the  same  amount  of  business  under  the 
City  Government." 

The  Association  calls  your  attention  to  the  following  por- 
tion of  the  Message  of  Mayor  Hoffman,  of  January  6,  1868  : 

"  We  are  now  beginning  to  pay  the  indebtedness  con- 
tracted during  the  war,  and  our  people  must  be  fully  pre- 
pared to  bear  heavy  burdens.  7/  is  certain,  however,  that  a 
very  large  amount  of  money  may  be  saved  annually,  by  a  proper 
effort,  in  the  various  departments  of  the  City  and  County  Govern- 
ments, and  in  the  Boards  and  Commissions,  to  cut  down  the 
number  of  employes  upon  the  pay-rolls,  which  are  unnecessarily 
large,  and  to  scrutinize  more  closely  the  prices  charged  for  all 
sujyplies  and  articles  furnished.  There  must  be  increased 
economy.  We  shall  need  all  our  resources,  as  well  as  all  our 
self-denial,  to  meet  the  increasing  demands  upon  us ;  and  1 
urge  upon  all  persons  charged  with  public  trusts  to  bear  in  mind 
the  facC 

If  it  be  said,  in  reply  to  the  above  comments  of  the  Asso- 
ciation on  the  amount  of  salaries  paid  by  you,  that  the 
Common  Council  has  created  the  offices  in  your  department, 
and  has  fixed  the  salaries  thereof,  it  is  still  true  that  the 
power  of  making  the  appointments  and  discharging  the 
clerks  is  in  the  head  of  each  department ;  hence,  it  would 
be  an  easy  matter  for  you  to  follow  the  Mayor's  advice,  by  « 
discharging  such  of  the  clerical  force  for  which  there  is  no 
longer  any  occasion,  and  refusing  to  make  any  new  appoint- 
ments. 

The  Association  would  also  call  your  attention  to  the 
matter  of  expenditures  under  the  bead  of  "Lamps  and 
Gas."  Coal  has  materially  decreased  in  price ;  but  the  Asso- 
ciation is  informed  that  no  sensible  reduction  has  taken  place 
in  the  price  charged  to  the  city  per  lamp  for  gas. 

The  Association  trusts  that  you  will  take  a  broad  and 
comprehensive  view  of  the  foregoing  matters,  and  will  be 


16 


influenced  in  your  action  thereon  by  motives  of  public  good 
alone. 

The  practice  of  extravagance  in  our  public  expenditures 
tends  rapidly  to  undermine  confidence  and  drive  capital 
from  our  city,  and  creates  a  feeling  of  insecurity  of  property 
on  all  sides.  Our  taxes  have  been  increased,  until  they  are 
now  most  oppressive,  thus  greatly  retarding  the  growth  of 
our  city.  Within  the  last  few  years,  in  consequence  of  the 
system  of  extravagant  public  expenditures  prevailing  here, 
many  millions  of  capital  have  been  driven  to  New  Jersey 
and  the  neighboring  States,  to  the  great  damage  of  our  city, 
since  many  of  our  larger  merchants  hesitate  to  reside  where 
the  public  burdens  are  so  great  and  so  difficult  to  be  borne. 

The  Association  also  trusts  that  you  will  keep  one  great 
object  in  view,  which,  under  a  wise  financial  management 
can  be  attained,  and  that  is,  that  when  your  term  of  office 
shall  expire,  our  city  and  county  may  be  nearly  out  of  debt, 
the  public  revenue  largely  increased,  and  the  rate  of  taxa- 
tion reduced  to  one  per  cent,  upon  the  present  basis  of  valua- 
tion of  property. 

The  great  question  of  the  day  is,  "  Retrenchment,  and  intelli- 
gent, thorough,  comprehensive  reform." 

Very  respectfully, 

PETER  COOPER, 

Chairman  Citizens'  Association  of  New -York. 

Richard  M.  Henry,  Secretary. 


iEx  Hthrtfi 


SEYMOUR  DURST 


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